Leadership Programs

Are you 16-24 and looking for a job in New Orleans where you can develop key leadership skills while giving back to your city?

LEADERSHIP PROGRAM: REAL WORK, REAL TALK, REAL RESPONSIBILITY

Each spring, from January to June, youth from across New Orleans have come to work on our farm for 5 months of learning how to grow food while developing key leadership skills like public speaking. We work with 9 partner schools and organizations in the New Orleans area.

Partner Schools and Organizations

Warren Easton

New Orleans Science and Math High School

Lusher Charter School

Joseph S. Clark High School

G. W. Carver Collegiate Academies

Benjamin Franklin High School

The NET Central City High School

The NET Gentilly High School

Louisiana Center For Children's Rights

What will I be doing?

You will be working hard on a sustainable urban farm in City Park learning how to grow fruits and vegetables and participating in workshops about food justice, community leadership, and sustainable agriculture. Each Crew Member is placed in a 12 person crew where you will rotate through time on the field, workshops, field trips, and cooking classes.

How do I apply?

All Spring 2019 Positions are currently filled. Please check back in the fall of 2019.

Fill out the online application or speak to the liaison at your school. If you have any questions email our Program Manager Glenn.

Liasons

Benjamin Franklin High School: Mr. Swanson

Carver Collegiate Academy: Ms. Krandel and Ms. Rhodes

Joseph S Clark High School: Mrs. Leaf

Lusher High School: Ms. Sullivan and Mr. Collins

The Net Charter High School: Mr. Sattler and Ms. Harris

New Orleans Science and Mathematics High School: Mrs. Naum

Warren Easton High School: Ms. Banks

Youth Empowerment Project: Ms. Jessica

Advanced Leadership Program

The Advanced Leadership program is a 9-month paid position for graduates of the spring leadership program. In the fall, members of the advanced leadership program work on the farm to deepen their knowledge of sustainable agriculture and become expert facilitators by learning to teach our workshops. In the spring, members of the advanced leadership program will become Assistant Crew Leaders and will help Crew Leaders to guide the next group of crew members through the spring leadership program.

Am I eligible to apply?

You are eligible to apply if you have graduated from our spring leadership program.

What will I be doing?

You will be doing many of the same things you did in the leadership program, only this time you are teaching the workshops and leading the farm tasks! It is a great opportunity for youth who are looking for continued employment and an opportunity to continue growing their leadership skills!

Food Justice Project

The Food Justice Project is an 8-week program of alumni working to deepen Grow Dat’s relationship with its community, including but not limited to: Shared Harvest Partners, alumni, families, and community members. During their tenure, FJP participants focus on critical analysis and content learning as well as facilitation skills.

Am I eligible to apply?

You are eligible to apply if you have graduated from our spring leadership program.

What will I be doing?

You will be doing a deep dive into an issue that intersects with food justice, meeting with community members about that topic, and co-planning a project that will assist a community initiative. Previous examples include building garden beds at First-72 Plus and completing a Grow Dat installation about the intersection of food justice and mass incarceration.

Food Justice Project Assistant Crew Leaders

The role of FJP Assistant Crew Leader (FJP ACL) is an opportunity to put into practice many of the leadership skills learned during the Leadership Program. The FJP ACL will help guide the next cohort of Food Justice Project Members through the fall program, while serving as positive role models and mentor.

Am I eligible to apply?

The Food Justice Project is a collective of alumni working to deepen Grow Dat’s relationship with its community, including but not limited to: Shared Harvest Partners, alumni, families, and community members.

The Food Justice Project is 12 weeks long. Meetings will take place on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The FJP members will be responsible for getting to and from Grow Dat and any and all off site venues, unless told otherwise. The members will be held accountable to the Grow Dat Standards System, similar to that of the Leadership Program.

What will I be doing?

The ACL will assist the Field Trip and Alumni Coordinator and the Education Coordinator to facilitate content workshops, openers and closers, activities, and ag tasks.

Crew Leader Fellowship

The Crew Leader Fellowship is a part time job for high school graduates 18-26. You do not have to have been a Grow Dat crew member or assistant crew leader to apply. Crew Leaders work alongside and supervise two Assistant Crew Leaders (ACLs) during the fall program. During this time, Crew Leaders and ACLs work on the farm, hone their facilitation skills, participate in workshops around food justice, and help facilitate workshops for visiting groups of college students, adults, and community partners.

Am I eligible to apply?

You are eligible to apply if you are a high-school graduate with a positive spirit and an interest in mentorship, teaching, and ecology.

What will I be doing?

Crew Leaders work alongside and supervise 2 Assistant Crew Leaders during the fall program. During this time, Crew Leaders and ACLs work on the farm, hone their facilitation skills, participate in workshops around food justice, and help facilitate workshops for visiting groups of college students, adults, and community partners. In the spring, Crew Leaders will work alongside the same ACL’s and together they will guide a group of 12 youth through the spring program. This role has significant responsibility.

SEED Project

The Seed Project is a diverse group of alumni who have been assembled to research an issue that is important to the farm or the outside community and collaborate with stakeholders to create and execute a solution. All members will serve as an ambassador for Grow Dat in our community, not only upholding our standards and guidelines, but actively and respectfully engaging with community partners as a representative of our values.

Am I eligible to apply?

Eligibility looks like - at least a Junior or senior in high school if not a high school graduate, the completion of the Advance Leadership Program or the Food Justice Project, and interested in thoughtfully creating solutions to problems that are important to you.

What will I be doing?

Seed Project successfully plans a solution to address a systemic social issue by utilizing critical analysis to develop a multicultural lens on the issue, visioning how we want our community to look, deepening awareness of how individuals impacts or interrupts the issue, and collaborating with stakeholders, all while reflecting on our growth throughout the program. The first Seed Project organized a pop up market in the 7th Ward, with the goal of bringing affordable, fresh, and culturally relevant produce to families in the area.